Sugar: How Much Is Too Much?
Added sugar is easy to overeat and adds nothing you need, but fruit isn't the problem, and you don't have to eat zero to get healthier.
The short version
- Added sugar is the concern. The sugar in whole fruit and plain milk comes with fiber and nutrients.
- The American Heart Association suggests no more than 25 grams (women) or 36 grams (men) of added sugar a day.
- Sugary drinks are the biggest and easiest source to cut.
- Sweeteners can help you step down from sugary drinks, but they aren't a proven long-term solution.
Added sugar vs. natural sugar
Natural sugar is part of whole fruit and plain milk or yogurt, along with fiber, water, protein or other nutrients. That makes it more filling and slower to absorb.
Added sugar is anything put in during processing or cooking, including table sugar, honey, maple syrup and agave. "Natural" sweeteners still count, and your body treats them all about the same.
Juice and smoothies sit in between. They come from fruit, but they lack much of the fiber, so it's easy to drink several pieces of fruit's worth of sugar in a minute or two.
How much is too much?
- American Heart Association: Up to 25 g (about 6 teaspoons) a day for women and 36 g (about 9 teaspoons) a day for men.
- 2025 to 2030 US Dietary Guidelines: Added sugars are "not recommended," with no amount set as beneficial. This replaced the earlier limit of 10% of calories. Summaries of the guidelines cite a ceiling of about 10 grams per meal.
Few people will hit zero, and they don't need to. A little sugar in your oatmeal is a fine trade if it gets you to eat the oatmeal.
Where it's hiding
| Food | Added sugar (approx.) |
|---|---|
| 12 oz can of soda | 39 g |
| Large sweetened coffee drink | 30 to 60 g+ |
| Flavored yogurt | 10 to 20 g |
| Granola or "healthy" cereal, 1 serving | 8 to 15 g |
| Pasta sauce, 1/2 cup | 3 to 8 g |
| BBQ sauce, 2 tablespoons | 10 to 15 g |
| Protein or granola bar | 5 to 20 g |
On a label, check the Added Sugars line. In ingredient lists, sugar can go by more than 50 names, including corn syrup, dextrose, maltose, cane juice and fruit juice concentrate.
How to cut back without misery
- Start with drinks. Often the single biggest win. See drinks.
- Step down gradually. Use half the sugar in your coffee this week, and less next week. Your tastes do adapt.
- Buy plain, add your own. Plain yogurt or oatmeal with fruit gives you control.
- Pick a time for dessert. Enjoying a real treat on purpose beats nibbling all day.
- Pair it. Eating sweets after a meal with protein and fiber softens the blood sugar spike.
What about sugar addiction?
Sugar activates reward pathways, and cravings are real. Whether it's "addictive" like a drug is debated. What matters practically is that rigid bans often backfire. See cravings.
Sweeteners
Options like stevia, sucralose and aspartame are considered safe within normal limits by US regulators. Swapping a daily soda for a diet one saves calories. However, the World Health Organization advised in 2023 against relying on them for long-term weight control, as long-term benefits weren't clear, and the 2025 to 2030 US guidelines don't recommend them either. A reasonable approach is to use them as a bridge, moving toward water and unsweetened drinks over time.
Sources
This guide is general information, not medical advice. Please check with a clinician before making big changes, especially if you have a health condition, take medication, or are pregnant. Read the full disclaimer.
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